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Websleuths News

On the latest edition of Websleuths Radio we tackle the Rebecca Zahau murder case and the big mistake made in the autopsy report of the Las Vegas shooter.
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"Sgt. Paul Reinsch of Missouri State Patrol said Ellingson stood up while being transported and stepped to the edge of the boat and then either fell or jumped overboard. Ellingson was wearing a life jacket, but it did not stay on him after he went into the water, Reinsch said."

I just don't understand how his life jacket came off while he was handcuffed.

It is illegal to transport an arrestee or an inmate over a body of water in handcuffs or shackles in the state of Louisiana.

There is a ferry in south Louisiana near Angola State Prison we used to use. A law was passed that you could not do that any longer unless the inmate was out of handcuffs and shackles. DOC rules are that no inmate will be transported without cuffs and shackles, so there you go.

It is the same with LE river patrols in my state. Should the boat (or ferry) were to sink, the arrestee or inmate would not be able to save themselves. I agree with that law. This incident did not have to happen. No one had to die.

kz, i hadn't thought of that type of life jacket, it looks as if you were correct: Ellingson was handcuffed behind his back, officials said. Reinsch said the trooper placed a standard "Level 3" life jacket – the type that resembles a vest and buckles three times in the front – on Ellingson. It came off in the water.

"That is a big part of our investigation," Reinsch said. "To determine how it came off after it was placed on him."

kz, i hadn't thought of that type of life jacket, it looks as if you were correct: Ellingson was handcuffed behind his back, officials said. Reinsch said the trooper placed a standard "Level 3" life jacket – the type that resembles a vest and buckles three times in the front – on Ellingson. It came off in the water.

"That is a big part of our investigation," Reinsch said. "To determine how it came off after it was placed on him."

If this was your son and you found out he was handcuffed and NOT PROPERLY LIFE VESTED would you sit back and accept it?

Make a mental picture....
A person handcuffed ...with hands behind their back....
And a life vest merely put around them ...

AND NOT WITH THE PERSONS ARMS THROUGH THE LIFE VEST.... with the life vest just wrapped around them and snapped.

It's called negligence.

Exactly. Think of it this way - a driver is arrested for DUI and put in the back of a police cruiser. The officer then drives recklessly through a red light, where the cruiser is struck and the arrested person killed. Because the arrested person was in custody of the police, it was their responsibility to watch over that person and not endanger their life. It's the same circumstance here, where officers had a duty to make sure the arrested person did not go overboard and drown.

“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

In no way should any of my statements be construed as legal opinion or advice. While I am a lawyer, I am not a verified poster here at WS. The above statement(s) are an expression of my personal opinion, for entertainment purposes only, and copyright.

I am so tired of the sue mentality also? I don't get it? Maybe the kids parents should be sued?

However, it does have to be investigated. I do have questions, but the LAST thing that crossed my mind was "sue."

Seems naive given the litigious society in which we live. I'm not a big fan of lawsuits, but this situation
seems to scream for one. With the lawsuit will come an investigation by those outside of the police department. If it lacks merit, hopefully the jury will decide for the defendant. If it does, important changes in policy will result.

It is illegal to transport an arrestee or an inmate over a body of water in handcuffs or shackles in the state of Louisiana.

There is a ferry in south Louisiana near Angola State Prison we used to use. A law was passed that you could not do that any longer unless the inmate was out of handcuffs and shackles. DOC rules are that no inmate will be transported without cuffs and shackles, so there you go.

It is the same with LE river patrols in my state. Should the boat (or ferry) were to sink, the arrestee or inmate would not be able to save themselves. I agree with that law. This incident did not have to happen. No one had to die.

MOO

Reposting as it seems like a few may have missed it. Thanks for the local info LL!

If this was your son and you found out he was handcuffed and NOT PROPERLY LIFE VESTED would you sit back and accept it?

Make a mental picture....
A person handcuffed ...with hands behind their back....
And a life vest merely put around them ...

AND NOT WITH THE PERSONS ARMS THROUGH THE LIFE VEST.... with the life vest just wrapped around them and snapped.

It's called negligence.

No, it is not negligence. Did you miss the part about the cop risking his own life trying to save the drunk? The life vest did not kill the guy, the fall or jump into the water killed him. He wouldn't have been in handcuffs if he had not broken the law.

My first reaction as a parent would not be to sue. I'd be more upset that my son did something so obviously reckless and stupid and lost his life.

Underage drinking and water have been a known recipe for disaster forever.